Transition structure between conveyor and rotary elevator wheel

ABSTRACT

The present invention employs a rotatably mounted wheel in combination with a belt conveyor for elevating material conveyed by the conveyor. The wheel has a plurality of storage cells formed around the periphery of the wheel. The conveyor belt wraps around the peripheral section of the wheel trapping the material on the belt in the storage cells and thereby permitting the conveyed material to be elevated to a discharge location. The material is trapped in the compartments by a back plate or seal belt which is maintained in contact with a portion of the inner surface of the wheel. The conveyor belt is maintained in a troughlike condition during the loading and transporting of the bulk materials conveyed thereby and the side portions thereof are elevated so as to centrally locate the bulk materials thereon prior to contacting the rotatably mounted wheel at which point the conveyor belt is flattened. Stationary and pivotally mounted skirt boards are positioned above and adjacent to the load supporting surface of the conveyor belt so as to guide the bulk materials into the storage cells of the wheel. One modification of the present invention includes the provision of biasing members for resiliently mounting that portion of the conveyor belt subjacent the base of the rotatably mounted wheel so as to assure a sealing contact between the belt and wheel and to compensate for any irregularities in the roundness of the wheel. A second modification of the present invention includes the provision of a pair of return conveyors positioned adjacent the side portions of the conveyor belt along the base of the elevating wheel so as to return all materials inadvertently escaping from the belt to a position on the belt prior to the centering of the bulk material conveyed thereby. One further modification of the present invention includes the provision of removal means for removing material from the outer edges of the conveyor belt and for depositing such material into the return conveyors.

" tent [72] inventors Frederick 0. Snow, lll

Wayne;

Francis X. Cennelly, Rutherford, N.J.; Harold Glaser, Ocean Springs,Miss;

Nnndor K. Latincsics, Wanague, NJ.

211 AppLNo. $66,792 [221 Filed Oet.6,l969 [45] Patented Sept.7,ll97l{73] Assignee Hewitt-Robins incorporated [54] TRANSITKON STRUCTUREBETWEEN CONVEYOR AND RUTAMY ELEVATOR WHEEL l2 Claims, 19 Drawing lFigs.

[52] lU.S.lCl 198/167,

198/85, 198/192 [51] lint. Cl 1B65g 29/00 [50] Field oi Search 198/167,

Primary ExaminerGerald M. Forlenza Assistant ExaminerJerold M. ForsbergAttorney-John D. Boos ABSTRACT: The present invention employs arotatably mounted wheel in combination with a belt conveyor forelevating material conveyed by the conveyor. The wheel has a pluralityof storage cells formed around the periphery of the wheel. The conveyorbelt wraps around the peripheral section of the wheel trapping thematerial on the belt in the storage cells and thereby pennitting theconveyed material to be elevated to a discharge location. The materialis trapped in the compartments by a back plate or seal belt which ismaintained in contact with a portion of the inner surface of the wheel.The conveyor belt is maintained in a troughlike condition during theloading and transporting of the bulk materials conveyed thereby and theside portions thereof are elevated so as to centrally locate the bulkmaterials thereon prior to contacting the rotatably mounted wheel atwhich point the conveyor belt is flattened. Stationary and pivotallymounted skirt boards are positioned above and adjacent to'the loadsupporting surface of the conveyor belt so as to guide the bulkmaterials into the storage cells of the wheel. One modification of thepresent invention includes the provision of biasing members forresiliently mounting that portion of the conveyor belt subjacent thebase of the rotatably mounted wheel so as to assure a sealing contactbetween the belt and wheel and to compensate for any irregularities inthe roundness of the wheel. A second modification of the presentinvention includes the provision of a pair of return conveyorspositioned adjacent the side portions of the conveyor belt along thebase of the elevating wheel so as to return all materials inadvertentlyescaping from the belt to a position on the belt prior to the centeringof the bulk material conveyed thereby. One further modification of thepresent invention includes the provision of removal means for removingmaterial from the outer edges of the conveyor belt and for depositingsuch material into the return conveyors.

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ATTORNEY IEBY PATENTEU SEP Hen 1603449 sum 8 BF 8 INVENTORS FREDERICK 0.SNOW, III FRANCIS X. CONNELLY HAROLD GLAZER NANDOR K. LATINCSICSATTORNEY TRANSITION STRUCTURE BETWEEN CONVEYOR AND ROTARY ELEVATOR WHEELBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventional endless belt conveyors cangenerally convey bulk materials up maximum inclines in the order of tolfthe angle of inclination for this type of conveyor is increased abovethis upper limit, the free flowing character of some bulk materials willcause the material on the inclined portion of the conveyor to slide downtoward the bottom of the incline. The shifting bulk material will causespillage problems and decrease the conveying capacity of the conveyor.

Another problem with conventional belt conveyors is that a relative longhorizontal distance is required if the conveyor is to elevate theconveyed material to a relatively large vertical distance. One reasonfor this is, as previously stated, because the conveyor can only beinclined at a maximum angle of 15 or 20". A second reason is because thetransition from the horizontal portion of a conveyor to the inclinedportion must be very gradual in order to prevent the conveyor belt fromlifting off the idlers. Thus, this transition portion of the conveyormust be designed so as to allow the conveyor belt to move through anupward vertical curve having a very large radius if the conveyor belt isto be properly supported in this location.

It will therefore be apparent that a conventional belt conveyor would beunsuitable in those situations where, because of space limitations, theconveyed material must be elevated a relatively large distancevertically within a relatively short horizontal distance.

One prior art solution to these problems suggested the use of a secondbelt arranged to travel in face-to-face relationship with the inclinedsection of the conveyor belt so that the conveyed material is heldbetween the two belts as the material is elevated or conveyed up theincline. This type of system necessitates two independent belt systemswith a mechanical or electrical system to synchronize the speed of theentire system. In addition, the belts for this type of system aregenerally not conventional and must be specially designed andconstructed.

Other prior art solutions have employed additional pieces of materialhandling equipment, such as bucket elevators to lift the conveyedmaterial. This type of solution is not completely satisfactory sincebucket elevators travel relatively slowly so that extremely largebuckets are required if it is to convey the same capacity as theconveyor. In addition, a bucket elevator is a separate piece ofequipment having an independent drive and control system which must alsobe synchronized with the conveyor.

One solution to the above-mentioned problem is US. Pat. No. 3,470,999,issued Oct. 7, I969 to the same assignee, wherein there is disclosed aconventional conveyor belt coming into contact with and wrapping arounda section of a rotatably mounted wheel. The wheel is formed with aplurality of peripheral storage cells that form storage compartments forthe conveyed material on the belt. The conveyed material is trapped inthe compartments between the belt on the outside and a back plate orseal belt on the inside and is carried upward to an overhead dischargelocation. In the transferring of material from the conveyor belt intothe storage compartments of the wheel undesirable spillage may occur. Itis therefore highly desirable to have a transition section which willefficiently transfer material from the belt into the wheel at extremelyhigh speeds without creating excessive spillage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes many of thedisadvantages of the prior art by having a conventional conveyor beltcome in contact with and wrap around a section of a rotatably mountedwheel. The wheel is formed with a plurality of peripheral storage cellsthat form storage compartments for the conveyed material on the belt.The conveyed material is trapped in the compartments between the belt onthe outside and a back plate or seal belt on the inside and is carriedupward to an overhead discharge location. Prior to coming intoengagement with the rotatably mounted wheel, the sides of the conveyorbelt are elevated so as to centrally locate the bulk materials thereon.Fixed and pivotally mounted skirt boards rest upon the load supportingsurface: of the conveyor belt to maintain the bulk materials in acentral location atop the belt and to guide the materials in a gentletransition to the storage compartments. That portion of the conveyorbelt adjacent the base of the rotatably mounted wheel can be biasedtoward the wheel in a resilient manner so as to assure a sealing contactbetween the belt and wheel and to compensate for any irregularities inthe roundness of the wheel. A pair of return con veyors can be providedadjacent the base side portions of the elevating wheel so as to catchany materials due to spillage and to return such materials to theconveyor belt prior to the centering portion thereof.

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide elevatingmeans for use in combination with a belt conveyor for elevating conveyedmaterial while minimizing the possibility of spillage.

Another object of the invention is to provide an elevating wheel incombination with a belt conveyor whereby conveyed material on the beltconveyor can be elevated a relatively large height within a relativelyshort distance.

A further object of the invention is to provide an elevating wheelhaving a plurality of storage compartments about the periphery thereofin combination with a belt conveyor and means for minimizing thepossibility of spillage while transferring conveyed material on the beltconveyor into the storage compartments to be elevated a relatively largeheight within a relatively short distance.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an elevat ingwheel in combination with a belt conveyor wherein the conveyed materialon the belt conveyor is readily centrally located and guided into thestorage compartments of the elevating wheel while minimizing thepossibility of spillage.

One further object of the invention is to provide an elevating wheel incombination with a belt conveyor and means for catching materialescaping from the belt conveyor and returning such material to the beltconveyor.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects, advantages and novel.features of the present invention will become apparent from thefollowing detailed description of the invention when considered inconjunction with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the head end of a belt conveyor employing theelevating wheel of the present invention with parts broken away;

FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of the base portion of the elevatingwheel and associated conveying equipment with parts broken away;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the pivotally mounted skirt board of thepresent invention;

FIG. 7 is a partial exploded view of the base portion of the elevatingwheel illustrating the pivotally mounted skirt board of FIG. 6 inoperation;

FIG. 8 is a view taken along 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a view taken along Q-9 of FIG. 7;

FIG. Ill) is a view taken along line III-I0 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 11 is a view taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 12 is a view taken along line 12-12 of FIG. 7; FIG. 13 is anenlarged view taken along line 13-ll3 of FIG. '7;

FIG. M is an enlarged partial view of the base portion of the elevatingwheel and side return conveyor with parts broken away;

FIG. 15 is a view taken along line 15-15 of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a view taken along line 16-16 of FIG. 14;

FIG. 17 is a view taken along line 17-17 OF FIG. 14;

FIG. 18 is an enlarged partial view of the side return conveyor of FIG.14; and

FIG. 19 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the drive mechanism for theside return conveyors.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings,wherein like reference characters designate identical or correspondingparts throughout the several views, and more particularly, to FIG. 1thereof, wherein a conventional conveyor is shown with the conveyor belt12 having a conveying reach 12a supported by troughing idler rollassemblies 14a, 14b, 14c and a return reach 12b supported by straightreturn idlers 16. At the head end of the conveyor, an elevating wheel 18cooperates with the conveyor belt, as will hereinafter be described, toraise the conveyed material to a second conveyor 20.

The elevating wheel 18 is formed with spaced, substantially parallel,annular rim structures, not shown, coupled together by equally spaced,radial partition members 26. Each rim structure is composed of anannular support member having a channel-shaped cross section, a flatannular side plate coupled to the support member and guide rail 32coupled to the inside of the annular support member. The guide rails 32of each of the rim structures are in planes which are substantiallyparallel to each other and combine to form a substantially circular,closed loop track system. The side plates of the rim structures combinewith partitions 26 to form a plurality of substantially rectangularstorage cells 34 located around the periphery of the elevating wheel.The storage cells have exterior loading openings which open radiallyoutwardly around the periphery of the elevating wheel and interiorunloading openings which open radially inwardly toward the center of theelevating wheel.

The elevating wheel is rotatably supported by a plurality of rotatablymounted support wheels 36 that fit on the guide rails 32. In theembodiment disclosed, four wheels are employed with each of the guiderails, and are positioned as shown in FIG. 1. Each wheel is rotatablysupported from a conventional support structure, not shown, and isprovided with suitable bearing means to insure easy rotation.

An arcuate backing plate 38 covers the interior opening of the cells 34between points A and B as indicated in FIG. 1. The backing plate issubstantially channel-shaped in cross sec tion, and the sides of thechannel extend upwardly around the inner edge of the side plates. Inthis manner, material in the storage cells between points A and B isprevented from being discharged through the inside openings of thestorage cells. At point B, the backing plate terminates in order topermit material in the cells to be discharged into chute 40 formed overthe second conveyor 20. A pivotally suspended baffle 41 may be mountedin the chute for directing the conveyed material into conveyor 20. Aseal belt can be utilized in place of backing plate 38 for preventingmaterial in the storage cells from being discharged through the insideopenings of the storage cells between points A and B. Such a seal beltarrangement is disclosed in US. Pat. No. 1,776,420, issued Sept. 23,1930, to Eichenberger for sealing the inner pocketed circumference of anelevator wheel.

The elevating section of the conveying reach wraps around a peripheralsection of the elevating wheel such that the loading openings of thewheel are closed by the elevating section of the belt. In the embodimentdisclosed, the elevating section is shown wrapped around approximatelyone-half of the circumference of the wheel; however, it is onlynecessary that the elevating section remain in contact with the wheeluntil all of the conveyed material has been transferred from theconveying region into the storage cells, as will hereinafter bedescribed. Sufficient frictional contact is made between the belt andthe elevating wheel so that the belt will provide drive means for theperiphery of the elevating wheel at substantially the same speed and inthe same direction as the conveying reach. The drive means for the wheelcould alternatively be a periphery of the wheel at the same speed as thebelt conveyor. After the belt has been extended around the elevatingwheel, it is reeved about head drive pulley 44 and is guided back downto the straight conveyor section by rolls 46. The belt then travels overthe straight idler rollers 16 to the tail pulley, not shown.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, wherein there is illustrated the overallsystem for transporting the bulk materials, it is seen that theconveying reach 12a is basically divided into a conveying section C, anelevating section E wrapped around elevating wheel I8, and a transitionsection D intermediate the conveying and elevating sections. As theconveying reach 12a proceeds through the conveying and transitionsections, C and D respectively, the belt is supported by troughingidlers indicated generally by the reference numeral 14 and specificallyby the reference characters 14a, 14b, and 14c. The troughing idlersutilized for supporting the conveyor belt do not in themselvesconstitute a patentable feature of the present invention and anyconventional idlers capable of supporting a conveyor belt in atroughlike configuration can be utilized in the system of the presentinvention. As will be better understood from the following descriptionof the transition section of the present invention, the only limitationon the choice of troughing idlers which can be utilized is that theidlers must have the capability of being mounted such that the sideportions of any particular idler will be maintained at a desired angleof inclination such that the conveyor belt supported by the idlers willhave a general configuration of a trough with the width and depth of thetrough at any particular location along the conveying reach beingdetermined by the angle of inclination of the side portions of the idlerat that location.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 through 5, wherein there is illus trated anovel and improved system for assuring that the bulk materialstransported by conveying reach 12a are substantially completely enclosedwithin the storage cells 34. The transition section D consists basicallyof a first means, such as troughing idlers 14b, adjacent the conveyingsection C which supports the conveyor belt in a troughlike configurationwith the longitudinal edges of the belt positioned at an elevation whichis higher than the elevation at which the longitudinal edges arepositioned throughout the conveying section so as to enable bulkmaterials carried by the conveyor belt to fall into the central portionof the belt due to the increased depth and decreased width of thetroughlike configuration; second means, such as skirt boards 48 and 52described more fully hereinafter, for maintaining and guiding the bulkmaterial in the central portion of the belt; and third means, such astroughing idlers 140 for lowering the conveyor belt to a substantiallyflat condition prior to coming into engagement with the elevating wheel.As the conveying reach 12a leaves the conveying section C and enters thetransition section D, the side portions thereof are brought into anelevated position by the troughing idlers 14b which are positioned atvarying elevations having a maximum angle of inclination as shown inFIG. 3 and during a second phase of the transition section the sideportions are lowered by troughing idlers Me which are positioned atdecreasing angles of inclination, as shown in FIG. 4. The temporaryelevation of the sides of conveying reach 12a causes the bulk materialson the conveyor belt to centrally locate such that the materials will bepositioned within the maximum width of storage cells 34 on the elevatingwheel 18.

A pair of fixed flexible skirt boards 48 are held in engagement with theload supporting surface of conveyor reach by conventional supportingstructure as indicated generally by the reference numeral 50 so as toprovide guide means for the bulk material. The fixed skirt boards 48 mayeither lie along the longitudinal axis of the conveyor or may beangularly disposed thereto so as to further assist in the centering ofthe bulk materials being conveyed. As the conveyor reach 12a proceedsfrom the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. 4, theside idler rollers 14c decrease in elevation such that the conveyingreach 12a begins to flatten out. When in the position shown in FIG. 4,the load supporting surface of conveying reach 1211 comes into surfacecontact with a second pair of skirt boards 52 which are pivotallymounted in a manner more fully described hereinafter. The fixed skirtboards 48 and the pivotally mounted skirt boards 52 are in end-to-endlongitudinal alignment so as to present a gradual transition zone forguiding the material toward the elevating wheel within the requiredwidth of the storage cells.

The conveyor assumes a flattened condition as a result of coming intoengagement with the elevating wheel 18, as

shown in FIG. 5. In this manner, all of the bulk material car ried bythe conveyor will be guided and transported into the storage cells 34with as little spillage as possible. In the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention the conveyor belt is not supported by idler rollersadjacent the base portion of the wheel at or near the point at which thebelt and wheel come into contact. In one contemplated embodiment, thelast supporting idler roller is located approximately two feet behindthe vertical center line of the elevating wheel. Thus, the belt ispermitted to stretch outwardly a slight amount if there is any bulkmaterial trapped between one of the vanes of the elevating wheel and thetop surface of the belt.

Skirt boards 52 associated with that portion of the belt adjacent thebase portion of elevating wheel 118 are pivotally mounted as shown inFIGS. 6 and 7, such that the skirt boards will move with the belt andprevent the bulk materials thereon from escaping from the centralportion thereof. The side boards 52 are pivotally mounted to supportstructure 58 by means of a pin 60 extending through an aperture 62formed in a tonguelike extension 64 of the side boards. The upper edgeportion 66 of the side boards 52 have a generally curvilinear shape soas to conform to the outer surface of the elevating wheel 1%. As shownin FIGS. 8 through 13, respectively, the cross-sectional height of theside boards 52 decreases in a generally smooth and continuous manner asthe conveying reach 12a flattens out and approaches the elevating wheel18 and the associated partition members 26.

To further assure that the material being transported by conveying reach12:: will enter the storage cells 34 through a relatively smoothtransition and with as little spillage as possible, a first modificationof the present invention provides for resiliently mounting that portionof the conveying reach within close proximity to the elevating wheel118, to compensate for any manufacturing irregularities in the outerdiameter of the elevating wheel and to also act as a safety device inthe event bulk material is trapped between the elevating wheel and thebelt. The resilient mounting of the belt adjacent the base of the wheelassures a good seal between the belt and wheel despite any variance inthe roundness of the periphery of the wheel. As shown most clearly inFIGS. 2, 4 and 5, the idler rollers 14c and Md adjacent the base portionof the elevating wheel 18 are each rotatably mounted on a pair of sidesupporting members 54 which are, in turn, secured to conventionalsupporting framework by biasing means such, for example, as hydraulic orpneumatic biasing members 56, which gently urge the idler rollers andthe associated belt portion toward the base of the elevating wheel.Guide rollers 58 at the end and outer side portions of member 54position the bank of idlers vertically and guide them. Any materialwhich becomes lodged between the free outer edge of partition members 26and the supporting surface of the belt will be gently dislodged suchthat the belt will completely cover the outer portion of the storagecells 34 during transportation of the bulk materials within the cells 34from point A to point B.

Due to the relatively high speed motion of conveying reach ll2a andfurther due to the insertion of the bulk materials into the storagecells 36, some of the materials, as well as dust created by the conveyedmaterials, may escape from the skirt board 52 and will fall to the sidesof the conveying reach 12a. Since this type of conveying system isgenerally used in a relatively confined, difficult to get at space,such, for example, as in the bottom of a self-unloading vessel, spillageand debris problems cannot be tolerated. Therefore, in association withthe conveyor and elevating wheel 18 may be provided a furthermodification of the present invention including a pair of conveyingsystems for minimizing any spillage and dust problems. Referring toFIGS. 14 through 17, a slide or shield is situated at each side ofconveying reach l2a so as to provide a downwardly, outwardly incliningsurface 68 which will catch any spillage or dust escaping from conveyorreach 12a. The dust, debris and spillage from the conveyor falls alongincline surface 68 into a troughlike member 70 having a conveyor passingtherethrough. The conveyor consists basically of a travelling chain 72with depending outwardly extending paddles, or vanes 74 fixedly attachedthereto. The paddles 74 scrape along the troughlike member 70 so as toconvey the material within the trough away from the elevating wheel 18in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of conveying reach12a, The trough 70 extends longitudinally along the base of theelevating wheel 18 at those portions most likely to create spillage anddust and then upwardly in a curvilinear manner, as shown in FIG. 14, toa position indicated generally by the reference character F at whichpoint the trough 70 terminates into a chute 76, as shown in FIGS. l4, l7and l9. Position F and chute 76 are associated with that portion ofconveyor reach 12a prior to the transition section D and the centeringof the bulk materials. In this manner, the materials conveyed by paddles74 and deposited within chute 76 will be redeposited upon conveyor reach12a prior to the centering action of the bulk materials on the conveyorreach. The chain 72 is composed ofa plurality of links, as shown in FIG.18, and reverses to form a return reach about a pinion-type gear 78while being driven through a pinion gear 80. As most clearly shown inFIG. 19, pinion gear 80 is driven through a shaft 82 by an enlarged gear84 which is, in turn, driven by a conventional motor 86 through a chain88.

As a further modification of the present invention removal means forremoving material from the outer edges of the conveying reach may beemployed such, for example, as illus trated in FIG. 16 as a plow orwiper blade 53 which contacts the top surface of the belt along eachedge and serves to scrape any material off the outer edges of the beltinto trough 70 for the chain-driven return conveyor. In this manner, itis possible to insure that there are no fines or other material on thebelt which would inhibit the belt from making sealing contact with theouter rims of the wheel. As a further modification of the presentinvention the removal means may include air jets blowing the materialoff the outer edge portions of the belt for deposit into troughs 70.

In operation, the conveyor belt is driven by powered head pulley 44 andthe conveyor belt, in turn, frictionally drives the elevating wheel 18in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. ll. The conveying reach ofthe conveyor belt is gradually elevated at the sides thereof so as tocenter the bulk materials transported thereby and subsequently isgradually flattened from its troughed position as it approaches therotating elevat ing wheel and the flat elevating section that wrapsaround the peripheral section of the wheel. The material on theconveying reach is guided by the fixed and pivoted side boards into thestorage cells of the rotating elevating wheel at a loading sta tion atthe bottom of the wheel, and the material trapped in the storage cellsis then elevated to a discharge or unloading station located overconveyor 20. To further assist in assuring that the material on theconveying reach will be deposited within the storage cells 34, the idlerrollers adjacent the base portion of the elevating wheel are resilientlymounted so as to assure good sealing contact with the wheel in the eventthat there are any irregularities in the round configuration of theouter peripheral portion. Conveyors and associated inclined surfaces areprovided at the sides of the conveying reach so as to capture dust andspillage from the: conveying reach and redeposit the materials socaptured on the conveying reach prior to the centering action of theelevated side idler rollers.

It will be recognized that the elevating section of the conveying reachand the backing plate or seal belt combine with the storage cells inorder to prevent material in the cells from being discharged through theopenings as the cells move from the loading station to the unloadingstation. The elevating section of the conveying reach serves as a coverwhich prevents material from being discharged through the loadingopening. It is therefore necessary that the elevating section remain incontact with the wheel, at least until the material in the storage cellshas been transferred from the belt, or, in other words, until theconveyed material has shifted away from the loading openings, as shownin FIG. 1. The backing plate 38 or equivalent seal belt covers theinterior openings of the storage cells as the cells are elevated betweenpoints A and B, and prevents the shifting material from otherwise beingdischarged through the unloading openings. Thus, the backing plate orseal belt covers the unloading openings of the storage cells as thecells move through that portion of the path between the loading stationand the discharge station where the trapped material would normally bedischarged through the unloading openings.

The above-described elevating means can be employed at almost anylocation where material on belt conveyors must be elevated a relativelylarge height within a relatively short distance. For example, thisinvention can be employed with a discharge conveyor located at thebottom of a self-unloading vessel. In this case, the conveying reachextends beneath the storage holds and a means is employed for loadingmaterial from the storage holds onto the conveying reach. In oneparticular type of self-unloading vessel, the head end of the dischargeconveyor and the elevating wheel is located at the stern of the vesseland the elevating wheel elevates the material to a shuttle conveyor inan arrangement similar to that shown in the drawings. Obviously,spillage and dust problems within a confined area such as thatencountered in a self-unloading vessel cannot be readily tolerated. ltcan therefore be seen that the centering operation for the bulkmaterials on the conveying reach provides a substantial improvement inthe elimination or reduction of spillage problems. Furthermore, theadditional use of return conveyors at the sides of the base of theelevating wheel provide further assurance that spillage and dust willnot present a substantial problem in that materials falling from thebelt at the wheel loading or transition area or leaving the belt in theform of dust will be returned to the conveying reach to again approachthe elevating wheel with the remainder of the bulk materials.

It will be apparent that the elevating wheel of the present inventionprovides means for use in combination with a conventional belt conveyorwhich will permit conveyed material to be elevated relatively largeheights within relatively short distances. By trapping the conveyedmaterial in the storage cells, it is possible to overcome the elevatingproblem caused by the relatively free-flowing character of many types ofbulk materials. The elevating wheel is especially designed so that sideboards can guide conveyed material directly into the loading openings ofthe storage cells with the material centrally located on the belt. Thefriction drive of the elevating wheel by the conveyor belt obviates theproblem of synchronizing the speed of the wheel with the speed of thebelt. Also, the specific elevating wheel design is relatively simplewith the storage cells open at either end, and with the wheel not havingany center spoke structure.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present inventionare possible in light of the above teachings. For example, the backingplate can be eliminated if the storage cells were shaped and theunloading openings were positioned in such a manner that the storagecells would retain the stored material until the cells reached thestored station. It is therefore to be understood that within the scopeof the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise thanhas been specifically described.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letter Patent of theUnited States is:

1. An elevating wheel in combination with a conveyor having a conveyorbelt moving through a conveying reach and return reach, said conveyingreach including a conveying section, an elevating section, and atransition section which is intermediate said conveying section and saidelevating section, said elevating wheel being formed with storage cellsaround a periphery of said wheel, each of said cells being formed with aloading opening and an unloading opening, said elevating wheel beingrotatably mounted and having a drive means for rotating said wheel whensaid conveyor is in operation, said elevating section being wrappedaround a peripheral section of said wheel so that the bulk material onthe elevating section of said belt can be transferred through saidloading openings into said storage cells, troughing idlers supportingsaid conveyor belt throughout a substantial length of the conveyingsection of said conveying reach in a troughlike configuration with theside portions of said belt being upwardly inclined with the longitudinaledges of said belt positioned at a first elevation, the improvement insaid transition section comprising a first means in said transitionsection adjacent said conveying section which supports the conveyor beltin a troughlike configuration with the longitudinal edges thereofpositioned at a second elevation which is higher than said firstelevation so as i to enable bulkmaterial carried by said conveyor beltto be centered thereon, the location of said longitudinal edges at saidsecond elevation being between said conveying section where said edgesare at said first elevation and said elevating wheel, second means insaid transition section for maintaining and guiding the bulk materialbeing carried by said belt in the central portion thereof so thatsubstantially all of the bulk material may be loaded into the storagecells of said elevating wheel.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first meansincludes at least one troughing idler having an angle of inclination ofthe side portions thereof greater than the angle of inclination of theside portions of said troughing idlers supporting said conveyor beltthroughout said substantial length of said conveying section.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1, further including thirdmeans in said transition section for lowering said conveyor belt to asubstantially flat condition.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 2, wherein said means formaintaining and guiding said bulk materials includes at least one pairof skirt boards above said conveyor and having the lower edge portionsthereof in surface contact with the load supporting surface of said beltconveyor.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4, wherein said pair of skirtboards are located adjacent said elevating wheel for guiding material onsaid conveying reach into said loading openings in said wheel.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 5, wherein the upper edgeportions of said pair of skirt boards conform in configuration with theperipheral portion of said elevating wheel.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 6, further including a secondpair of skirt boards in longitudinal alignment with said first pair ofskirt boards and extending from the position on said conveying reachraised to said second elevation to a position adjacent said first pairof skirt boards.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 7, wherein at least one pair ofsaid skirt boards is pivotally mounted so as to remain in surfacecontact with the load-supporting surface of said belt conveyor.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 4, wherein said conveying reachis supported by a plurality of idler rollers, at least a portion of saididler rollers being spring biased toward said elevating wheel so as toresiliently support said conveyor reach adjacent the storage cells beingloaded.

10. The combination as set forth in claim 4, which is furthercharacterized by conveying means for receiving spillage and dustadjacent the side portions of said conveying reach and said elevatingwheel and for depositing said spillage and dust upon the load-supportingsurface of said belt conveyor.

11. The combination as set forth in claim 10, which is furthercharacterized by removal means for removing material from the outeredges of said conveying reach.

wardly above said conveying reach, a conveyor within each of saidtroughlike members having a direction of travel opposite to thedirection of travel of said belt conveyor reach

1. An elevating wheel in combination with a conveyor having a conveyorbelt moving through a conveying reach and return reach, said conveyingreach including a conveying section, an elevating section, and atransition section which is intermediate said conveying section and saidelevating section, said elevating wheel being formed with storage cellsaround a periphery of said wheel, each of said cells being formed with aloading opening and an unloading opening, said elevating wheel beingrotatably mounted and having a drive means for rotating said wheel whensaid conveyor is in operation, said elevating section being wrappedaround a peripheral section of said wheel so that the bulk material onthe elevating section of said belt can be transferred through saidloading openings into said storage cells, troughing idlers supportingsaid conveyor belt throughout a substantial length of the conveyingsection of said conveying reach in a troughlike configuration with theside portions of said belt being upwardly inclined with the longitudinaledges of said belt positioned at a first elevation, the improvement insaid transition section comprising a first means in said transitionsection adjacent said conveying section which supports the conveyor beltin a troughlike configuration with the longitudinal edges thereofpositioned at a second elevation which is higher than said firstelevation so as to enable bulk material carried by said conveyor belt tobe centered thereon, the location of said longitudinal edges at saidsecond elevation being between said conveying section where said edgesare at said first elevation and said elevating wheel, second means insaid transition section for maintaining and guiding the bulk materialbeing carried by said belt in the central portion thereof so thatsubstantially all of the bulk material may be loaded into the storagecells of said elevating wheel.
 2. The combination as set forth in claim1, wherein said first means includes at least one troughing idler havingan angle of inclination of the side portions thereof greater than theangle of inclination of the side portions of said troughing idlerssupporting said conveyor belt throughout said substantial length of saidconveying section.
 3. The combination as set forth in claim 1, furtherincluding third means in said transition section for lowering saidconveyor belt to a substantially flat condition.
 4. The combination asset forth in claim 2, wherein said means for maintaining and guidingsaid bulk materials includes at least one pair of skirt boards abovesaid conveyor and having the lower edge portions thereof in surfacecontact with the load supporting surface of said belt conveyor.
 5. Thecombination as set forth in claim 4, wherein said pair of skirt boardsare located adjacent said elevating wheel for guiding material on saidconveying reach into said loading openings in said wheel.
 6. Thecombination as set forth in claim 5, wherein the upper edge portions ofsaid pair of skirt boards conform in configuration with the peripheralportion of said elevating wheel.
 7. The combination as set forth inclaim 6, further including a second pair of skirt boards in longitudinalalignment with said first pair of skirt boards and extending from theposition on said conveying reach raised to said second elevation to aposition adjacent said first pair of skirt boards.
 8. The combination asset forth in claim 7, wherein at least one pair of said skirt boards ispivotally mounted so as to remaiN in surface contact with theload-supporting surface of said belt conveyor.
 9. The combination as setforth in claim 4, wherein said conveying reach is supported by aplurality of idler rollers, at least a portion of said idler rollersbeing spring biased toward said elevating wheel so as to resilientlysupport said conveyor reach adjacent the storage cells being loaded. 10.The combination as set forth in claim 4, which is further characterizedby conveying means for receiving spillage and dust adjacent the sideportions of said conveying reach and said elevating wheel and fordepositing said spillage and dust upon the load-supporting surface ofsaid belt conveyor.
 11. The combination as set forth in claim 10, whichis further characterized by removal means for removing material from theouter edges of said conveying reach.
 12. The combination as set forth inclaim 10, wherein said conveying means includes troughlike membersextending along the side portions of said conveying reach, each of saidtroughlike members having a portion thereof extending upwardly abovesaid conveying reach, a conveyor within each of said troughlike membershaving a direction of travel opposite to the direction of travel of saidbelt conveyor reach.